Beauty Boxes: Bella Box September 2012

The theme of the September Bella Box is Spring in Your Step and I think we've all been waiting for Spring to come! Even despite my hayfever, I've still been looking forward to it. ッ I'm going on holidays in a few weeks' time too, so I'd be very pleased to have some samples I can take with me.
Let's have a look at this month's Bella Box:


It contains:

♫ Bioderma Sebium Foaming Gel, sample size 10ml
Bioderma is popping up again and again in my beauty boxes. I don't think we have to worry anymore that we won't be able to obtain their products here in Australia! I always like to try new facial cleansers - I just love it when my face is squeaky clean! The snap-off top is not resealable, so it'll be staying in my shower, not coming with me on holiday.

♫ Bioderma Sebium AKN Purifying Corrective Care, sample size 5ml
Whether it's a coincidence, I don't know, but these two Bioderma samples are good for oily and blemished skin, so they're right up my alley. Pimples can get worse in the tropical climate I'm heading to, so this one's going in my travel bag.

♫ You, Me & Everybody Sumptuous Skin Mousse, full size 75ml
I've never seen a moisturiser in an aerosol can before! While it's probably not very environmentally friendly, I'm still curious. Apparently it's a fragrance-free mousse good for dry skin. Holidays are a time for trying something new, so this one joins the facial moisturiser in my suitcase!

♫ Savoir Faire Concealer Kit, series of samples
I've heard of this concealer testing kit before: it did the rounds of the beauty blogs a few months ago. People were a bit mystified as to why SF would include concealers in three vastly different colours in one kit instead of putting them out in separate kits, and I'm wondering why, too! The lightest concealer may just be light enough for me, but it still looks too yellow. The others are suggested to be used for contouring. My makeup routine is never that elaborate! On the other hand, I've never used a finishing powder, and I'm curious. A holiday isn't the time when I want to spend time mucking around with a fiddly new product. But when I get back and I'm nice and tanned ... maybe??*
* (Just kidding: I pretty much have a phobia of getting sunburnt and I'm taking a big supply of sunscreen with me!)

♫ U-Haircare USPA Beehold, sample size 30ml
This gel adds body and helps retain curl in wavy hair, plus 'humidity resistance' (which I assume is anti-frizz?) - just the kind of thing I'll be needing in warm weather. I was going to take my sea salt spray with me, but this sample will be more convenient. Nice. It smells good, too.

♫ Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream, sample size 3ml
Eye creams, hmm! I have a bit of an ambiguous relationship with them. They're usually expensive (check), come in unhygienic pots (check), and don't do what the claims say (judgement pending). The lid wasn't done up properly and it smelled really generic and boring. On the bright side, it was nice that a 3ml sample came in a pot (a cute and reusable one, too!) rather than a sachet. I will put it in my eye cream queue. I haven't decided if I'll take it on holidays, yet.

Summary: I don't mind this box at all. It has a mix of face, body, hair and cosmetics. The face products were right for my skin type, which is nice. It's probably coincidental, but almost all the products were in white, green and blue packaging, which added a fresh, spring feel. The value is OK, not spectacular but nothing to complain about either.

Total Value: $47.66. Cost of Box: $15.00. Benefit: $32.66
Rating: 7/10

Beauty Boxes: Bella Box June 1012

My Bella Box actually arrived the day after my Beauty Basket (last Thursday), but I'm sick at the moment, and only had the oomph for one box at at time! I really wish they hadn't arrived so close together, because one always seems better than the other and it can be a little disappointing. This month's Bella Box trumped the competition, I have to say! The theme was Winter Escape, perfect for the current cold weather. And here it is! (Sorry the photo is a bit lacklustre, it was hard to photograph so many different shaped items, and I wasn't really in the mood.)



Benefit Porefessional Pro Balm, sample size 7.5ml.
This was the first thing I saw when I opened the box, and I was highly excited! I have a problem with large pores, and all the beauty blogs are raving about this primer. I have a suspicion that I might be happier with my makeup application if only I could find the right primer, so I'm definitely going to give this a go. It's in an adorable flip-open cardboard holder with tips on it as well.

Benefit Total Moisture Face Cream, sample size 3.5ml.
Another Benefit product! Yay! I can't afford to buy Benefit products normally - the joy of beauty boxes means I can still try them. Apparently this contains tri-radiance complex and mango butter. Sounds nice!
Conscience time: Benefit is a U.S. brand. It tests on animals where required by law.

Pure Fiji Coconut Milk and Honey Body Butter, sample size, est. 50ml.
I have so many body moisturisers! I'm kind of glad this is a sample size and not a full-size, I have to admit. The smell is subtle but lovely, so I'm sure I'll enjoy using it.

Sally Hansen Colour Quick Chrome Fast-Dry Nail Colour in Red Chrome, full size pen.
Nail pens are nothing new, but I don't doubt the quality of Sally Hansen products. I swatched the colour on a piece of paper and it's a light, bright metallic red. Definitely a toe-colour for me! (i.e. too bright to get away with wearing to work.) It does seem to dry fast (on the paper).
Conscience time: Sally Hansen is a U.S. company. It doesn't test on animals.

Be In Awe Vimala Gentle Cleanser, sample sachets 3ml x 2.
Be In Awe Shaanta Night Balm, sample size 5ml.
I'm intrigued by their catchline 'ancient wisdom encapsulated'. The range is based on Ayurvedic principles. I'm more of a modern technology girl, myself. I like it when I'm given more than one product from the range: if something was wonderful or terrible, you have a better idea if it's a one-off or not. I look forward to trying these out.
Conscience time: Be In Awe is not tested on animals.

Fan Di Fendi Fragrance, sample sachet.
The fragrance came in a sample sachet which I'm guessing has some kind of towelette inside? In that case, it's only good for one application, which is a little disappointing. I want to save it for a special occasion, but if I don't like the smell, then do I have to wear it to my birthday party??
Conscience time: Fendi is owned by Unilever, which do test on animals.

Bonus: Olea Olive Leaf Drops, 4 lozenges.
I swear, everything has olive leaf in it now! These lozenges also have manuka honey and antioxidants, so they're good for colds. I really need them right now! I bet they taste better than Strepsils as well. ツ
Conscience time: Olea Olive Leaf is owned by Comvita, the N.Z. mob I got some products from a few boxes back. The olive grove is in Queensland, though. They don't test on animals.

Summary: Bella Box have come up with a big box this month - it contains 8 products! I was impressed to see a brand new product, the Benefit Porefessional, which shows that Bella Box keep up with current trends. The value of the box was quite good. It was heavy on the skin care side of things, and not really any makeup except for the primer. Skin care is my favourite, so I'm not complaining, but some others might not like it so much. The Olea Lozenges were the quirky but appropriate bonus that Bella Box are starting to be known for. Overall, I approve of this box heartily. Now I'm gonna have a cup of tea!

Total Value: $63.23. Cost of Box: $15.00. Benefit: $48.23.
Rating: 9/10

Beauty Boxes: Bella Box April 2012

I picked up my Bella Box at the same time as my I Love This Box, but I decided to open them one day after the other, or else my poor little brain would explode! This is my first box from Bella Box, so I was especially looking forward to opening it. Before I even opened it though, I noticed a disconcerting rattling noise coming from it when I picked it up and moved it around. I was a bit worried about the products being OK. When I opened the box, I found there was no shredded tissue or other packaging to protect the contents, and they were all piled up on top of each other. Not very aesthetically pleasing. I probably should have taken a picture of that for you, but this is how they looked when I arranged them nicely:



It contains:

Comvita Brightening Facial Exfoliant; Facial Serum; Moisturiser, sample size 1.5mls each.
These Comvita skincare products are based on olive leaf extract. I almost had to laugh because recently Husband and I have started drinking olive leaf extract in our daily juice! So apparently it's good for your outsides as well as your insides. The samples are probably only enough for one or two applications, but they'll be interesting to try. a) I'm a sucker for skin care; b) I'm intrigued by boutique brands; c) I'm always up for some brightening.
Conscience time: Comvita is a New Zealand brand started by a cute little old man in the 1970s. Its skincare products are not tested on animals.

Ulta3 Nail Polish in Cocoa, full-size 13ml.
Ulta3 is about as cheap-o as you can get! In fact, I saw some in the bargain bin at Coles last week, but the colour range was terrible, so I didn't get any. However, everyone's been talking about Ulta3 and how good quality it is for such a cheap nail polish, so I had been wanting to try it out. And this colour is not only pretty, but probably suitable for work, too. At first glance it's similar to the deep bronze shade I got in my Be Creation Dot Artist Kit (review in progress), but the Be Creation one comes out as more of a marone colour, whereas this seemed true to colour when I swatched it on a piece of paper.
Conscience time: I've heard conflicting reports as to where Ulta3 is from, and whether they test on animals.

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation in "Petal I'm Plush & Precious", 5ml sample size pump pack.
I'm not that crash-hot on foundations, I prefer BB Creams personally. (I have a stack of unused foundations samples that I got with magazines, whereas all my BB Cream tubes are well-squeezed.) Having said that, I've been hearing about this new Benefit foundation around the traps recently, and I've been mildly curious about it, so I was glad to receive this sample. However, just looking at the bottle, I can tell it's a little dark for my skin tone - and Petal is the second-lightest colour! If it looks too dark on me, I'll probably put it aside until next summer.
Beautypedia Rating Summary [see full here]: smiley face: foundation blends easily and has a natural finish, but the range of shades is not large.
Conscience time: Benefit is a U.S. brand. It tests on animals where required by law.

Pure DKNY Verbena Eau de Parfum, 3ml sample vial.
I love perfumes, so spritzed some of this one before I went out to brunch. (Same-Day-Trial product, for the win!) It has a fresh, cool water scent with just a tiny hint of fresh floral. It reminds me a little of Acqua de Gio. I quite like it. It would be good for work and casual occasions.
Conscience time: DKNY (Donna Karan New York) is owned by Estee Lauder, a U.S. company. It tests on animals where required by law.

OP Therapy Summer Glow Pineapple & Papaya Sea Salt Scrub, full-size 75ml.
Another independent Australian brand - it's amazing how many there are out there! One thing I like about Beauty Boxes is being able to try out a range of them without having to seek them out. This body scrub smells nice and I'm sure I'll enjoy using it.
Conscience time: OP Therapy is an Australian brand. It is not tested on animals.

Bonus: Hollywood Feet Velvet Cushions, 2 pair pack.
It's always nice to get a bonus product. I think they're technically meant to be worn with heels, but after a day of fetching files and shifting boxes at work, even my ballet flats could do with a bit of cushioning.

Summary: My first Bella Box was more than satisfactory. It had some of my favourites: skin care, nails, perfume, not to mention a bonus product. The value of the box is fairly low-ish compared to others, but I'll definitely use all of the products in the box. That's not something I can say for every box! The only glitch is the way that the box was packed, and that might just have been a one-off. Overall, I'm happy with my first Bella Box.

Total Value: $54.60. Cost of Box: $15.00. Benefit: $39.60
Rating: 8/10